Pennsylvania High School Rivalry Game Marred By Seemingly Dirty Ankle Twist That Left Player Injured

The annual Cocoa Bean between neighboring  Hershey High School and the Milton Hershey School is supposed to represent the best of high school athletics. But that wasn’t the case on Friday.

The game was first played in 1943 and features the local public school, Hershey, against the Milton Hershey boarding school, which was formed in 1909 and is aimed at aiding underprivileged students in the area.

Hershey has won the last five editions of the game, including this season’s, in which the Trojans walked away as 20-18 victors.

However, while the scoreboard says they won, public perception is saying otherwise.

Hershey Player Injured Milton Hershey Quarterback With Potentially Dirty Leg Twist

Early in the second quarter, with the game still tied at 0-0, Spartans quarterback Kamari Cooper kept the ball on a read option and was tackled by a Trojans’ defensive lineman after a short gain.

However, after the tackle, the Hershey player appeared to roll through, still with a grasp on both of Cooper’s legs. Immediately after the moment in question, Cooper is seen writhing in pain and grabbing toward his leg.

The incident occurs around the 49:10 mark of the video above, which was broadcast by the Milton Hershey School.

Cooper had to be helped off the field and did not return to the game.

Shortly after the game ended, the moment went viral on social media, with many calling for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to step in and hand down a punishment.

“How is the PIAA protecting players with stuff like this? Not cool,” one person asked on Facebook.

Others took a more drastic view, saying “he should be kicked out of the school and never allowed to play PIAA sports again! Behavior like this needs to be stopped, and he’s gonna be an example, so be it. This might seem harsh to some, but there is no place for this type of behavior in sports.”

Count me among those who think that sounds harsh. After all, other than the player himself, nobody can be sure of the intent of the defender. But at very least, it was clumsy play. And it’s a sad moment for Cooper, who reportedly suffered a serious injury.

Unfortunately, the moment overshadowed one of the country’s great high school football rivalries.